The Pervasive Myth of the Virgin Cure

I won’t start off with New Year’s resolutions or blasts of the same, as there are plenty of posts out there on the topic at the moment. All I have to say to the general theme is “Love your body NOW.” 

I will go on about a recent read, though. Ami McKay’s The Virgin Cure was a holiday gift (thanks L) and I’ve just finished it. If you read McKay’s first novel, The Birth House, you know her writing is poetic and dances with difficult subjects. The Virgin Cure carries on.

The Virgin Cure tells the story of girls and women in 19th century New York, where restrictions were many and opportunities few. Moth, a twelve year old cast out into the streets, joins “the training” to become a whore (the word of the day). A caring female (!) doctor worries that Moth will be used for “the virgin cure” – a man’s attempt to rid himself of syphilis, which in those days was incurable.  

It is beautifully written, though its topic is hard to read. It reminded me of the recent “virgin cure” mythology that having sex with a virgin will cure HIV. This one is also untrue, but like the days of the syphilis cure, used nonetheless. Even babies have been raped in the attempt to find a cure. There is no cure for HIV, although there’s treatment that can make it almost medically bearable- the social stigma is a different thing.

Thanks goodness for women like Betty Makoni in Zimbabwe who founded the Girl Child Network to help survivors of sexual abuse who have been targeted for the virgin cure. I’m grateful she’s there for the after effect, but wish to all the power we humans have that this wouldn’t have to be the case.

Education about how HIV is transmitted, prevented and treated should be available to anyone and everyone. Providing our children and our adult selves solid comprehensive sexual health information is as necessary as teaching morals. I choose morals as that accompaniment specifically, as I’ve heard it claimed that teaching sex education goes against morals. I say that teaching someone how their body works and how disease/ illness can affect it is part of a larger conversation about how we care for ourselves and each other in the world, of which morals are a part.

But even with education, there are the gender imbalances. *Deep sigh.*

One lament per post.

A great read, reminder and reason for thorough sex education and standing up for kids’ rights, I do recommend The Virgin Cure. And resolve to continue in sex education and sexual health rights.

Janet

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